Improvement in fire-arms



S. W. WOOD Revolver.

Patented Aug 18, 1863 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

S. \V. \VOOD, OF CORNWALL, Nl llV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,6"), dated August 1.8, 1863.

To all whom it may concern: 4

Be itknown that I, S. W. Wool), of (Tornwall, county ot'Orange, and State of New York, have invented cer tain new and usefullmpiovements'in Revolving Fire-Arms, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description,

viewot thehammeraml pawls with the h'a'nnner resting upon the cartridge. Fig.3is also a detached view of the hammer and pawls with the hammer on guard or slightly ott' the cartridges.

Fig.4 is a similar view with the hammer at fullcock and in position to descend upon the cartridge. Fig. 5 represents the pawl 10 in a different position, being secured to the frame of the arm, directly in front of the hammer, in stead of being hinged to the pivot of the trigger. Fig. 6 is a view representing the hammer on guard, the guard-pawl having engaged the upper notch.

The nature of my invention consists in the arrangement, hereinafter set forth, of two pawls operating in the sam'e notches on the face of the hammer, one pawl to revolve the cylinder and discharge the arm by simply pulling the trigger, while-the other pawl holds the hammer on guard or at full-cock, and is liberated by the pawl'hinged to and operated by the trigger. The pawl holding the hammer on guard or at full-cock is of such length that when lifted or raised out of eitherof the notches on the face of the hammer it permits said hammer to descend upon and explode the cartridge or percussioncap.

To enable others skilled inthe art to make and use myimproved revolving tire-arm,I will proceed to describe the same in detail.

The stock A, barrel B, and cylinder 0 are similar to such. parts in other pistols or revolvers, the cartridges being inserted and withdrawn from'the cylinder through a hinged door, and require no detailed description here. The ham- [her I) is pivoted at a, and is thrown forward to explode the cartridge or percussioneap by means of a mainspring, b, and the trigger E, after the discharge, is returned in position by means of a'searspring, a.

section,

-will not liberatethehammer To the heel of the trigger E is pivoted the forked spring-pawl (I, one prong, 0, taking into the notch o to discharge the arm by pulling the trigger only, while the other prong,j',' takes into a ratchet-wheel, 9, formed on the end of the cylinder 0, to turn said cylinder and to bring each of the chambers in succession in line with the bore ofthe barrel.

It will be observed that as the pawh efare. actuated by the trigger E, by one pivot at 8, unless one of' the chambers 'i shall be directly in line with the bore of the barrel the pawle and the arm cannot be discharged. 1

To the pivotrofthe trigger E is hinged what Ishall designateaguard'pawl,w. This pawl 20 performs sereral oflicesviz.', that of arresting and holding the hammer on guard, or

slightly ofi' the cartridge or percussion-cap, to

preventacciden ts by premature explosion while carrying the arm about the person or when in use carelessly,and to retain the hammer at fullcock, taking into the notch 0 when it is desired to raise said hammer by the thumb, instead of operating to discharge the cartridge by means of the pawl e and trigger E alone. \Vhen the hammer D is at its lowest position (see Figs. 1,2) it bears upon thet'ace of the hammer, above thenotches o 0, while the pawl e fallsbelow both these notches 0 c. To place the hammer on guard, slightly ott' the cartridge or percussion-cap, the fixed pawl 20 takes into thenoteh 0, (see'Figs. 3, 6,) andt'o place the hammer at full-cock by raising it with the thumb the pawl w engages the'notch o, hammer on guard, or to the notch o, as in Figs. 3,6, or to full'coclt, Fig. 4, it will be observed, does not change the position or interfere with the pawl d,- andto discharge the arm while in either of these positions and retained by the pawl 20, by pulling the trigger E the end 6 of the pawl (1 passes up, the lower face, a, Fig. 3,

of the hammer, beneath the pawl 20, is thrown forward by the heel v of the hammer, acting as. a cam, and, lifting the pawl 10 out of its notch, retains it and permits the hammer to descend upon and explode the cartridge or percussioneap. The pawl 10 is placed directly over the pawl e and operates (to hold the hammer on guard or at. full-cock) in the same notches 0 o in the face of the hammer D, and

Fig. 4. 'In raising the is of such length that when lifted or forced out of either of these notches 0 o tides upon the back of the. pawl e, permitting the hammer to descend; and when the pawla shall have passed below these notches o n, and from heneath the pawl 'u', said pawl 10 rests upon the face of the hammer ahove them, (see Figs. 1, 2,5,) and the arm is again in readiness to he placed on guard, d awn to l'nll-eock by the tlnnnh, and discharged, oediseliarged lsimply pulling the trigger.

The pawl 20 may be placed in ditlerent positions,as shown in Figs.5,ti, and in dotted lines, 1 ig. 1,hy being secured to the frame A in front of the hammer 1) and extending downward, and perform the same ot'liees without departing from my invention.

I Having thus fully described my improved revolving fire-arm, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement herein described of two pawls operating conjointly in the same notch 0 on the face of the hammer, the pawl d to discharge the arm by pulling the trigger simply, while the other pawl, it, holds the hammer on guard or at full-cook, and is liberated by the prong e of the pawl 47, hinged to and operated by the trigger E to discharge lhe piece, sub stantial y as herein set. forth.

S. \V. WOOD.

Witnesses:

GnAs. A. DAVIS, JAMES (.l. Coornn. 

